Food Stamp Use Climbs to Record

Food stamp use reached a record 46.7 million people in June, according to the federal government.

Participation was up 0.4 percent from May and 3.3 percent higher than a year earlier, and has remained greater than 46 million all year as the unemployment rate stayed higher than 8 percent.

Food stamp spending, which more than doubled in four years to a record $75.7 billion in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011, is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) biggest annual expense.

Reductions to the program have emerged as a point of contention in debate over a farm bill to replace current law that expires September 30. The U.S. Senate in June passed a plan that would lower expenditures by $4 billion over 10 years, while the House Agriculture Committee the following month backed a $16 billion cut.

The report shows the two most populous states, California and Texas, had the most recipients.

California was tops with 4.012 million, a 0.8 percent gain from the previous month and 7.3 percent more than the previous year.

Texas was in second place, while down 0.4 percent from the previous month and 1.4 percent lower than a year earlier.

Louisiana and North Carolina had the biggest monthly gains in enrollment, 1.3 percent.

Enrollment fell the most in Utah, down 1.4 percent from May, followed by Idaho and Ohio.

Spending on what's officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program totaled $6.21 billion in June, 0.4 percent higher than the previous month and 2.8 percent more than a year earlier.

The record is $6.26 billion spent in September 2011.

About 47 percent of recipients are children, and 8 percent are elderly, according to the USDA.